Catch 22

 I LOVE my job, but right now I don't really like it... 10 days ago I told my boss I needed certified tickets... a week ago, they were supposed to be ordered... today I found out that they hadn't been ordered, as they need $400.00, which "we don't have"... catch 22, I can't bring in cash if I don't have tickets, I can't get tickets with out the cash... I took over $450.00 in petty cash... here is hoping that in about 2 weeks I have tickets.

Changes...

Yes I've been quiet for a while...

Lets see... I've changed guilds at faire, I'm now working with St. Ives which portrays the middle / merchant class at faire, At Ives, I am working with the Bell, which is a house of 'negotiable affection'...My character there is 'Nursey' (think of the nurse from Romeo and Juliet, or Shakespeare in Love...) It has indeed been a lot of fun playing there!  I'm still a part of St. Cuthberts, but will be active with them mostly at Casa De Fruita...

 

And... I've started my 5th year at the scale... May 2nd was my jobeversery... I was hired at the scale May 2nd 2006... my goodness how time flies when you are having fun! 

I've started a 'not yet named' scarf, using Merino lace weight... the pattern is interesting, and there have been a lot of stops and starts, and re-starts... I've also done several other scarves, hats and socks... (can't forget the socks!!)

I've had another birthday, I'm now 58, and as a friend of mine put it, although I can get senior discounts, middle age is 10 years away...

Stitches!

Last Friday, (Feb. 26th) I did something very very rare, and took a day off from work... and 4 friends, Cindy, Kate, Tina, Victoria and I went to San Jose, CA for Stitches west!!!

WOW... Oh my, It was for me like being in a candy store, and toy store for the first time ever!  My first thought was to get over to see my friends Ba, and Karen, at Royal Hare.. then I relaxed and said 'oh my'... as I looked around! 

There were classes of all types, both ones that you had to sign up for far in advance which were approx. 2ish hours long, and ones that were 30 minutes and quick 'how-to's'.  Saturday, when we went in one of the first things I saw was a woman teaching a technique called knit one below, which I had seen mentioned but hadn't seen it done, I hadn't tried doing it... The woman who was demonstrating it works with Knitting Universe, and was showing a technique from the book "knit one below",  which of course was something that due to good advertising placement, I purchased... along with the Great American Afghan, and and the Great American Aran Afghan.... Both of which I had been wanting for several years!

I was oh so tempted by needles, hooks, fiber and yarns... I did buy 1 hook, a bone crochet hook that I can use at faire, and I bought 3 pairs of socks... that I have to make!  One is in Peppermint Mocha, a delicious colorway from Lorna's Laces, one is in a lovely 'pastel colorway, from a company called yuppy threads, and the other is a beautiful pumpkin blend from forever.  Both of which I got from DBNY (if you click on the link, and then in the search bar type in yuppy, or forever, it will bring up the yarns... and can be seen below!)

On Sunday, when we got to the convention center there were 2 ladies with Alpacas!!!

All in all it was a grand relaxing weekend, and I plan on going back next year!

Dye Day at La Crescenta

Last week, my buddy Jamie contacted me, and asked if I'd like to join him at Griffin Dye Works workshop for classes which included dying yarn, fabric, and fiber...Sure says I...

And this is what we / I did...

The fiber that looks kinda like cotton candy was done with cochineal, and indigo, both of which were nearly exhausted, then I did a chain with a gold into cochineal  into pale indigo, the the solid indigo, and then the indigo into gold, with a 'white' centering... I had 2 skeins of yarn and 2 hanks of rovings approx 1 oz each that I had fun dying...

Griffin Dye Works can be found 'here'...

Christmas Continued!

This past weekend I got to go to the Pantages Theater in L. A. I'd never been there before... and I plan on going back a time or three in the not too distant future (hopefully)

For Christmas my daughter got me a ticket to see Riverdance... I've seen specials via television and video... but hadn't seen it live... It was incredible!

In addition to seeing it, I got to see one of the dancers at the stage gate and get an autograph... which was neat... and wouldn't have happened if I hadn't of been getting a souvenir dvd and coffee cup!

After my daughter picked me up, we went home, napped for a bit... then went to P.F Changs in Anaheim for dinner... she had a gift card, and the food was grand!

Sunday was mostly a lazy morning, followed by a run to Target so she could spend another gift card, and then off to the Santa Ana train station... by the time we got there it was almost train time (we thought) but the train was late... and I had my usual worry worry... oh dear did I miss my train thoughts... and the thought that I'd have to call my step-daughter and say... ooops I missed the train, I'm coming in at 7:30 instead of 5:30... but yay Metrolink, it made up the time, and I was actually early getting to the home station!

When I got in the car my step daughter handed me this... it had been decided that I need the pattern and to make a 'few'...

All in all it was a very relaxing and enjoyable weekend! Then when we started home... the rains started... but I have a beautiful scarf to help keep me warm, a nice hat for my head... a warm coat, galoshes, and umbrella to sort of keep me dry...

Life is good

2K10

Here already?!

Almost a week into the new year... and yea... its a new year. I started - and finished a beanie style hat that will go to a friend who I ride the bus with, for her daughter... this past weekend, nice way to start a year - finishing a project!




I'm starting another project today, a pair of toe up socks... one of the networking sites that I am on has a 'please try my pattern' listing... and these sounded interesting... (same site, had the beanie)

Christmas was quiet, which is good, spent it with my daughter, and her best friend, (who I call my step daughter) and I think that all the gifties that were exchanged were well appreciated by their recipients! I know that I am appreciating all of mine!


New Years eve was nice, spent a part of it with friends, enjoying sushi at a small restaurant close to where we have our knit-togethers, and it was a 'blue-moon' meaning that we had 2 full moons in one month... quite a way to end a year!



I hope all of my cyber friends and family had a good Christmas, and quiet New Years... and that this year is better for everyone than last year was... it is pretty much a universal opinion that last year 'sucked'... Here is hoping the new one is better!

Things that 'hide'

We've all have had it happen...

You go to the closet, and look for your favorite coat... hmmmmmmmmmm not there... did I leave it in the car... nope... hmmmmm oh well, I don't 'need' the coat, a sweatshirt will do...

Its getting almost COLD here in So. Cal... (almost) and I hadn't been able to find either my long coat, that zips, (a light gray quilted coat that I picked up 25 years ago at J C Penney Catalog for next to nothing as I worked there) or the dark gray coat that my daughter helped me pick out last winter, when she(and I) said that I really really needed to retire the pea coat that I had gotten 10 years ago, as the lining was shredded...

Saturday I went to J C Penneys over in Redlands, as I had heard that
they were having a SALE sale. Womens coats for under $100.00 This coat, called to me, and kept calling... and the price was excellent!

Last night I was going through some stuff in the living room... that I am in the process of saying - this stays... this goes... this a maybe to stay... not sure... and found both of the coats that had been mia...

Some how the line from Little Bo Peep comes to mind... leave them alone and they'll come home... Thank you my 'old' favorite coats for coming home!!

Age...

Last night I was waiting for the bus, which was due at 7:30 (ish)... had a young woman say to me... "aren't you afraid to be out alone at night"... I replied 'ummmmmmmmmm no'... her quote was "I am... I admire you being elderly and not being afraid to be out after dark" and I said to her... 'I walk with attitude, if I walk as if I am afraid of my shadow, then yes I am going to get harassed, if I walk with confidence, then people generally leave me alone... besides, I am short, and can reach the knee caps quickly... those who hassle me, will have to deal with me, with my kids, and with their own karma"

We talked further, and I found out that she is 38. I am 57... she is 19 years younger than I am, and 8 years older than my daughter... but to her, because of my 'looks' I probably look like I am 10 or 20 years older... I find it interesting having gotten the "this is an unsafe neighborhood' chat from several folks in the last few weeks, that if you are 20 something, or 30 something, it is o.k. to be out after dark... (which is coming at 5:30 ish now...) but of you are 40 something, 50 something, 60 something... you should be home - inside - safe with the doors locked...

Why is it that after a certain age, we discourage activity, and we act as if folk are frail, and may be taken advantage of if they are out after a certain time of night... I have had less problems in the last 5 years (knock on wood) than I have in the 15 before that... and most of the problems, have been from people breaking into my house when I wasn't home... I have had a bag stolen twice, once from a person who as I was waiting for a bus, who did a snatch and run... and once from 2 people who double teamed me, and split up as they were walking past me... (there is a reason that I wear a backpack...) and those two incidents happened more than 10 years ago...

If we wrap ourselves in fear, than we will always be afraid... I don't want to be afraid!

Entrelac

Back in July, I learned how to do a knitted pattern called entrelac... basically it looks like a basket weave... and it is a good challenge!

A few month later I found out that a friend of mine was going to have boy number 3, and I went shopping for yarns...

This is what I came up with!

Changes

This week has been hard for me... harder than I thought that it would be! I found out Saturday night that a close friend of mine had had a stroke, and that he was being kept in a medically induced coma, to keep him 'calm'... It was decided to take him off of life support on Tuesday, and we were given one time, then another time and then a third time that the family was going to remove the life support... I've a feeling that the family was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love for him.... If I had been able to get up to where he was, I would have been there... however it is probably better that I wasn't able to... There was always the hope that he would wake up, slap a nurse on the rear and say... let me get dressed, I have a faire to build... however that was not to be,. On Tuesday, he decided to continue the sleep and passed on shortly after 10 p.m. pac. time. Jerry I will very much miss you, but I know that you are still there, just out of sight, and holding my hand while I am dealing with drilling a hole, to set a screw or the like. I can only hope that an inth of what you tried to teach sunk in! Brightest blessing to you my friend, I look forward to seeing you on the other side!

Today, the circle of life continues... Phil and Cassandra have Baby Boy number 3 (he hasn't been named yet... ) born at approx. 10:30 a.m. 7 lbs 3 ozs 18 inches long... Brightest blessings to you wee boyo, I look forward to holding you!

Yesterday I realized that I was out of blood pressure medication, which has been 'sorta' helping but not really... I went to the clinic that I go to... during the day, it is a regular clinic and in the evenings its is an urgent care clinic... good and bad I am one of the working poor... I work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-F the fact that they will take me in at the urgent care clinic is fantastic! I can take care of minor stuff (like sinus infections, or tonsillitis and scold me for not having a better handle on the blood pressure... I have to say that one of the things that prodded me to take care of this is losing Jerry... Jerry took care of himself (as far as I knew) he was vegetarian, watched his weight, didn't eat saturated fat ect... and yea I want to live a fruitful life I want to make it to "official" senior status, I want to see Megan, Shawna, and Rhiannon happy, and in healthy relationships... and yea someday when they are ready I want to hold my grandbabies... to do that I have to have a Dr. / P.A. who will listen, and work with me on getting the medications that she wants me to take... and hear me when I say... ummmmmmm the reaction to this one was fuzziness - the reaction to that one was increased heart rate ect... I think I have found that... Here is hoping!

I've got mine...

too bad you don't / won't have yours...

http://www.dailykostv.com/w/002049/

Lots 'o stuffies...

I've learned a new knitting pattern... hurray...
Entrelac... It is an interesting one to do... and enjoyable to watch grow!!




Happy Belated 4th... I'm glad that I live here in the United States... where I still have 'freedom of speech'! This pix is the underside of a C17, that did a flyby over the University of Redlands... where some friends and I went for Picnic in the park, and the 4th of July fireworks show that is put on there every year!



This past weekend, I played 'superwoman' (again)... I moved a 'new to me' refrigerator from outside, to inside... bit at a time, it was taken in... it is now inside my kitchen, humming along noisily... but humming! My old 'new to me' fridge which was probably 30ish years old, decided that after 14 or 15 years of living in my kitchen that it didn't want to keep the refrigerator part cold... cool, but not cold... I'm a HUGE believer in keeping food out of the danger zone... below 40, or above 140, (f) in between is inviting food poisoning, and that is not a fun thing to have! I have a scar from stem to stern (navel to sternum) because of it... My friend Stephanie found this one on Craigs list... for a very good price... and delivered it for me too! I remembered the adage that I learned from years ago of push don't pull... and got it inside... and situated! I now have to get the other one out...

Yes I am nuts!

Finally I leave you with a bit of the booms from the 4th... the show was great!

Fears...

This past Wednesday, one of my biggest fears 'rained' down on me...

I have three HUGE fears:

1) Lightening/thunder
1) Fire
1) Spiders

All are equal... none are more equal than the others...

That said, Wednesday, I woke up to the sound dripping and in my sleep fog couldn't tell if it was inside or outside... inside didn't make any sense, but hey, I was still mostly asleep. I got up, turned on the morning news so I could see what the weather was going to be, got dressed, grabbed an umbrella and headed for work. Around 9 or so, I started seeing little flashes of lightening, which made me jump, not much, but some... then a friend called me and asked if I knew of any fires on my side of the mountian. When I went outside, I saw the smoke from a fire that was about a couple of miles up the hill from the San Manuel Reservation. Yep, caused by a lightenign strike.

Wednesday afternoon/early evening I had caught the bus headed home, and there were 'bigger' forks of lightening striking... which I could sort of ignore, on the bus... but when I got off of the bus, and was waiting for the connecting one to take me home, there were more and more and... more... it seemed as if they were within a perimiter of 3 to 10 miles... and unfortunately I was outside, under a bus shelter. The scared little girl part of me was fighting very hard to come out...

another day I will wax eloquent about my fear of fire, and of spiders...

Warning - Rantatude ahead...

Yesterday when I was on the bus, the driver pulled over and said "there is a pregnant woman... can someone please give her a seat? The bus will stay parked until she is seated." 3, count 'em 3 woman yep WOMEN got up and offered her their seats... what the hell... I was totally dumbfounded 30+ men, 30+ women, and 3 women offered her a seat...

Last night I stopped at a local fast food place, and got some totally not good for me junk food... as I am eating, the manager tells one of the workers to do the dining room, sweep, and clean the yellow strips at the bottoms of the tables... the young woman (any where between 18 and 21) starts whining... I'm going to have to sit on the floor... do you know how long its going to take me... I'm not going to finish til 10 p.m. ... The manager tells her - the sooner you start the sooner you finish... she continues to whine... in my direction - sorta... the straw for me - "I'm gonna get swine flu from this"... I told her - "ya know, I know 10 people who would love to have your job"... she said, "well I like my job... its just... germs - ya know"... and I said "again, I know 10 people who would love the job, and not complain about the work" If you have a job... I'm not saying you can't complain, because I do it... sometimes too much... but remember there are 10 people out there that will happily take over the job for you...

Finally...

A friends grand-daughter was killed on Monday, the circumstances are suspicious at best... she was in a relationship that was abusive, and had not shown up for work on Friday of last week, and calls to her home, and cell went unanswered... on Monday Police say that she sat on the Caltrain tracks just north of the San Antonio station in Mountain View and was struck and killed by a southbound train at 11:30 a.m. If you are in a relationship where the person is isolating you from your family or your friends, If s/he is hitting you, then telling you it is because of how you are... if you didn't do "x" they wouldn't hit you... please consider what s/he is doing, and maybe take 2 steps back and look at the relationship from a different perspective... no person regardless of how much you think you love them, or how much they say the love you is worth dying over.

Friday Afternoon...

Something for 'when-will-the-weekend-be-here-itus

http://www.funkjelly.com/2009/04/freakin-amazing-flash-mob-dance-in.html

Back in January my daughter asked me to knit her a hoodie... (again) I've been hesitant about it, as I wasn't sure about a pattern, and wasn't sure if she would like what I had knitted... her 1 request to not do was a hoodie like I had knitted for myself last year... (Interweave knits Central Park Hoodie) she also asked for some design features that I wasn't sure about making... I am a good knitter, but I need a pattern as a jumping off place...



I finally settled on a color of yarn, after hearing "make it a surprise"... "don't want to know"... In February, one of my favorite magazines came out with a sweater that was "it". In March, there were 3 different 'fittings, and this past Saturday evening, I got to give it to her... Her comment was 'freaking awesome'...

Promises made... part the 2nd

ring ring

Looking at the caller id... (xyz company)

"Hi this is Michael... from xyz company... I understand that your not happy right now... I've contacted the manager of your route driver and someone should be out either today, or tomorrow at the latest"

'pardon me for being skeptical, but I went through this last year, and the year before... '

"Well we are trying a different training with everyone, to make sure that our people keep you happy"

'if the route driver doesn't come out as "promised" is there a direct line to speak with you?'

"If you call call the 800 number..."

(yea... uh huh...)

and... part the 3rd

shortly after that conversation ended, the route driver came in...

Promises Made...

promises not kept...

Monday the soda machine at work decided to eat my $$...

I call XYZ soda company... "someone will contact you by this time tomorrow..."

'will they call or come to the office'

"Yes"

Yesterday... surprise surprise surprise (NOT)... no contact... so I call XYZ soda company again... and again explain, that I'm the building in front, not the building in back...

Today, the building mate comes in and says... the XYZ company is in back... sigh

also turns out that the parent company has been calling (to no avail) about their machine eating $$

Hey Mr. Polar Bear... I really do like the product... but your reps have to not make promises that can't be kept by your sales persons!

On a different note...

A couple of weeks ago I learned how to do 'stranded' or two color knitting...

This is what I am currently working on... I took a pattern that I saw on knitty and am doing the color work into a smallish bag, one that is large enough to hold a business card type wallet, (approx. 2 1/2 x 3 inches) an ipod or mp3 player, a cell-phone, and small ring of keys...

The fun part with this too, is that in addition to doing the color work, I am also doing it on 2 circulars!!

What I have to say to you is this...

If I stay past 5 p.m... I will be fired...

(and my thought is this... can you afford to pay me... oh lets see... $5,000 a month because you asked me to stay just a 'few minutes' to close a ticket... no... aw gee)